Eleanor stood. She twirled around. She stopped turning and gave me a long hug. “Oh, Godmother! I do miss my parents so.”
“No sniffling! You’ll get me started. Now, off to the ball.”
I saw no reason to go in. I had already met all these people and they bore me. I cautioned Eleanor that my coachman would be back with the carriage to pick her up and return her back to the Keep on the stroke of Midnight. “Do not be late in meeting him. I want to keep this whole night a surprise from Giselle for as long as possible.”
“But, Godmother, you do know that she and my sisters are in attendance here tonight? They will know I have been here.”
“Child, you are transformed tonight. No one who overlooks you most of the time will recognize you in that dress. Dance with Prince James if he asks. Be prepared to write me a complete report of your evening.” And away she went.
I gave my coachman his instructions, ordered some unwatered wine from the barkeep and made my way to my bedchambers.
Of course, she lost one of her shoes while running out to catch the carriage ride back to the Keep. After dancing all night long with Prince James, her feet had begun to ache, so she had taken them off and was running down the steps to the carriage in her stockinged feet and dropped a shoe. Thinking it was of no real import, she left it lay where it fell. As it happened, she arrived home with barely enough time to disrobe before Giselle and her daughters arrived and demanded she assist them in disrobing. Eleanor did have the presence of mind to mess up her hair on her way to her stepsisters’ chambers, so they believed that she had just arisen from her bed.